With attitude, Ms. Platitude
chalks off phrases on the board,
instructs our class, out of the blue,
these words should never come to see
the light of day - "Banality" -
because those sayings are "cliché":

two words she breathes with such disdain,
which makes us more the curious
why she'd become so furious
- enough to yell "for goodness sake"
if one writes "icing on the cake"
or confers a "bless her heart."

We who "upset the applecart"
will soon be "up the creek,"
although it's only "tongue-in-cheek"
or said because we're stuck "between
a rock and hard place" with no "clean
slates" left to break, replace.

Spare us "don't cut off your nose
to spite your face," don't bait
with "good things come to those
who wait" or "twist of fate,"
and we'll not mention "tried and true"
or "bite off more than we can chew."